Collaboration called for sufficient water supply in city

The city council has approved Ordinance 64, s. 2023 or the “Baguio City Volunteer Ordinance of 2022”.
The ordinance recognizes volunteers and the act of volunteerism as a significant driver of political, economic and social development. It builds inclusion, ownership, solidarity, and social cohesion.
A volunteer refers to an individual or group who for reasons arising from their socio-developmental, business and corporate orientation, commitment or conviction, contributes their personal time, effort and expertise to a just and essential social development cause, mission or endeavor in the belief that their activity is mutually meaningful and beneficial to public interest as well as to themselves.
Volunteerism in the city shall be based on the field of expertise and/or fitness of the volunteer in social services; cultural services; capability building; education services; health services; environmental management; computer or ICT-related services; and disaster risk reduction and management services.
In order to operationalize the city volunteer program, a city volunteers council (CVC) is established to be chaired by the mayor and shall be composed of coordinators and members from concerned local and national offices and agencies.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office shall serve as its secretariat to oversee the effective implementation of the ordinance.
The CVC shall ensure the observance of the Volunteer’s Day every fifth day of December in consonance with the International Volunteer Day.
An initial amount of P500,000 from any available fund was appropriated for the implementation of the ordinance.
Within one month from its approval, the city volunteers sectoral coordinators or the CDRRM officer in coordination with the CVC shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations of the ordinance.
The measure was submitted to the Office of City Mayor Benjamin Magalong for approval.
The city council has approved Ordinance 58, s. 2023 realigning P1 million from the projects, “Construction of a barangay DRRM storage room” and “Construction of sewerline phase 6 at barangay multipurpose hall to Rimando Road” to the rehabilitation of stairs and construction of canopy along interior Malvar St. at Aurora Hill Proper.
Realigned through Ordinance 59, s. 2023 is P750,000 from the project “Rehabilitation of the Hillside day care center adjacent to Hillside High School annex, Purok 2” to improvement of barangay culture and arts center, stock room and separate restrooms for male and female located at Purok 2 at Hillside.
Under Ordinance 60, s. 2023, the amount of P500,000 from the project “Improvement of multipurpose hall (extension building) at Purok 2” is realigned to construction of day care center at San Antonio Village.
On issues and concerns of water supply and services, the city council has called for actions and collaboration of concerned offices and agencies to ensure enough supply or availability of water for city residents.
The city council has called through Resolution 387, s. 2023, that an indigenous peoples representative be appointed in the Baguio Water District to contribute and help in bringing up suggestions and looking into the concerns of water consumers in the city’s marginalized and indigenous communities.
In Resolution 388, s. 2023, the BWD was requested to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Engineering Office regarding the recharging of aquifers by rainwater harvesting in the city.
The resolution stated every aquifer has discharge and recharge zones, thus, it must be protected and sustained with appropriate engineering and technology interventions to replenish or recharge them with new water.
In Resolution 391, s. 2023, the city council has tasked the City Environment and Parks Management Office and the CEO in cooperation with the BWD to conduct a feasibility study on tapping the water reservoir located at Purok 27, Irisan to provide additional water resource for the city.
This is to be included in BWD’s contingency plans and water supply improvement and augmentation projects being undertaken like drilling and exploration projects, water resources recovery schemes, and recharge mechanisms.
Another request in Resolution 392, s. 2023 is for BWD to intensify its campaign for the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities in schools, offices, and establishments in the city, and to provide the design for said facilities.
A rainwater harvesting facility serves multiple purposes, including providing potable water to consumers during a crisis, recharging groundwater, and minimizing runoff and waterlogging during rainy seasons.
For personal or domestic usage, people can save rooftop rainwater for future use. A piped network can also collect and store water from several roofs along a street.
In Resolution 393, s. 2023, the City Buildings and Architecture Office was requested to look into the possibility of establishing a rainwater harvesting facility at the Baguio City Hall.
In addition, a request through Resolution 394, s. 2023 is for BWD as part of its corporate social responsibility to extend support to the water works of communities for sustainability of their water needs.
The communities need clean water to stay physically healthy and prevent diseases caused by lack of adequate water, sanitation, and proper hygiene.